Financial empowerment

Community training resources

We offer specialized web-based trainings, toolkits, and other materials for community members, front-line social service providers, legal aid attorneys and staff, community volunteers and worker organizations to help the people they work with identify financial hurdles and the means to overcome them.

Download the Your Money, Your Goals toolkit

Learn more about community financial education resources for libraries

Empowering youth

We provide materials to help groups working with youth—such as those who are seeking employment, in foster care, or at-risk—navigate the financial marketplace. We also collaborate with strategic partners to remove barriers and expand access to financial services for these populations.

Browse youth employment tools

Protecting foster youth from identity theft

Tax-time savings

A tax refund may be the single biggest check some consumers receive all year—it’s a huge opportunity for individuals to set aside savings to help reach their financial goals. Saving money from a tax refund can be done easily and automatically while filing a tax return—service providers can learn more about tax-time saving options to better help those they serve.

Ready, set, save!

Increasing saving at tax time and promising practices for the field

Tips to help make the most of your refund

Financial coaching

We’re working with direct service providers across the country to bring one-on-one financial coaching services to economically vulnerable consumers and transitioning veterans.

Learn more about financial coaching

Find resources for financial educators

Financial security for people with disabilities

People with disabilities may face challenges navigating the financial marketplace. Our ROADS to Financial Independence: Reach Outcomes. Achieve Dreams. Succeed. initiative aims to support the financial capability of individuals with disabilities as they transition into the workforce by helping them improve credit, reduce debt, gain access to appropriate financial services, and increase savings

Read more about our ROADS to Financial Independence initiative

Review the financial rights of those receiving Social Security Disability income

Partnerships with other federal agencies

We’re teaming up with other federal agencies to increase the financial knowledge and skills of people getting trained or placed in jobs, and those receiving federally funded services and public benefits by integrating financial capability tools and services into existing programs.

Read about our partnership with the Department of Labor to help workers with disabilities increase their financial capability

Learn about our involvement in the Federal Interagency Reentry Council to help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully transition back into their communities upon release

Measuring impact

Enhancing the ability of organizations to fund and evaluate the effectiveness of financial capability programs serving low-income and economically vulnerable consumers.

Read about our research pilot on early intervention strategies to improve consumer financial outcomes

Read our report from a national convening on financial empowerment

Read our report on mobile financial services for the underserved – find out what people are saying and doing about the opportunities and risks with mobile

Promoting savings habits

As part of Project Catalyst, we’re working with financial service providers to promote regular saving habits among low- and moderate-income consumers to help them improve their long-term financial well-being.

Read more about our work evaluating saving habits among prepaid card users with American Express

Learn about our work with H&R Block to encourage tax-time saving

Opening the door to better financial services

We’re committed to helping people improve their ability to access financial products and services, including appropriate transaction accounts and credit products.

Explore how consumers are affected by checking account screening policies and practices

Learn about opening and managing a checking account

Read our consumer guides on selecting a lower-risk account , managing your checking account , and checking account denials

If you or someone you’re helping has been denied a checking account, read our factsheet